Indian players presented Virat Kohli with a guard of honor as he took to the field on Day 2 of the first Test between India and Sri Lanka, which is also the former captain’s 100th Test. Led by Rohit Sharma, Kohli’s teammates formed a parallel line along the boundary rope as they praised the star batter.
Virat Kohli thanked his teammates for the appreciation and raised his hands to thank the crowd who stood to welcome the legendary batter onto the field. It was a nice touch from the Indian players as Kohli approached Rohit to shake his hand before the players took their field positions.
India vs Sri Lanka 1st Test Day 2 Live Results and Updates
Kohli became the 12th Indian cricketer and 71st overall to play 100 Tests for his country. The former captain, who resigned from his top job in early January, went out for 45 in the first innings, although India managed to post 574/8 and slammed down the Sri Lankan bowling attack at Mohali.
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Kohli looked sharp during his brief stint in the middle before being wiped out by a fine delivery from left-arm spinner Lassith Embuldeniya. Kohli couldn’t believe his luck as the ball twisted sharply from center and leg, hitting the top of the off stump.
Kohli in particular was congratulated by the team management before the start of the first test. Head coach Rahul Dravid presented Kohli with a special India cap and urged him to “double it”. Kohli’s wife Anushka Sharma also joined the cricketer at the congratulatory ceremony.
Kohli, meanwhile, downplayed the long wait for Hundred from his blade and said he doesn’t bother with milestones at all.
Kohli has not reached a hundred in international cricket since November 2019, even if he is expected to end the drought every time he bats at India. Kohli has completed 805 runs since early 2020 when he was in 6 fifties, but his average has dropped to a 28.75, well below his overalls, which are still over 50.
“I’m preparing the same way I’ve been preparing all this time. As long as I hit well, it doesn’t bother me at all. People look at milestones and talk about a lot of things that are just an outward conversation, I know for that I’ve been involved in very important partnerships for the team in the recent past,” Kohli said on Friday.
“Everyone has a different perspective, my perspective at the moment is very different. If people don’t see me getting those big results game after game, it’s probably because of their own expectations of me and the standards that haven’t been set by accident. I’ve put in a consistent performance so the expectations are there.
